Caudata.org: Newts and Salamanders Portal

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Did you know that registered users see fewer ads? Register today!

Ambystoma tigrinum: successful breeding

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Hello all,

today the first larvae hatched:
198029_155748147819502_100001529526069_334945_1272892_n.jpg


One of the possible fathers:

198022_152964538097863_100001529526069_318983_4582785_n.jpg


Best regards,

Mario
 

Jan

Site Contributor
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
1,625
Reaction score
35
Location
Philadelphia, PA
A BIG congrats on your success!!! Might you be willing to share information on the breeding details? Specifics would be very beneficial to the caudate community.
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Brilliant!!!
Please, if possible upload more pictures. Also, if you could share more information on the process you followed to get the adults to breed, it would be excellent.
Congratulations, it´s really great to hear of more captive breedings of this species!!!
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Hey Jan,

thank you.

Sure i will share information:

I got 2,2 A. tigrinum from a spot in Illinois.

They were in hibernation from November to February.
The temperatures during hibernation were around 3-5°C in my basement. In late February (26.2.) we had about 5-10°C in the daytime so i decided to put my males into an aquarium (100x40x40cm) standing outside.
Aquarium setup: 15cm water, oak leaves, branches, dry sticks and Elodea.

During the first week the temperature dropped under 0°C at night, so the surface was completely frozen. But since 5. of march we have about 5°C at night and 15°C in the day. At 11. of march I put the females into the tank and during night I was able to watch the salamanders mating (at 8°C water temperature)... at 13.3. they were depositing eggs (around 300 from both females)
All adults remaining in water till now.

I got much more notes on that, so if you got concrete questions I'll try to answer them.

Next year I try the same with my other ambystomatids!

But I got a question too: Has anyone bred A. tigrinum (not A. mavortium) last years?

@Rodrigo: What do you like to see?

Greets
Mario
 

megs

New member
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
37
Reaction score
3
Location
Central Jutland, Denmark
Looks like the same animals as mine? Mine have also produced a lot of eggs these days.
How long incubation time and at what temp?

martin
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Hey Martin,

Steffen wrote me an e-mail today saying you also bred this morph.
So yes, these are the same ones!
Congratulations!

Incubation time was 12-13 days at 17-18°C.
At the moment ~10% hatched.

Best regards,
Mario
 

Jan

Site Contributor
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
1,625
Reaction score
35
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Mario - thank you so much for providing this information. A few other questions:

1. The breeding aquarium was outdoors. Was the aquarium in a building/structure or completely outdoors exposed to the elements and to sunlight and moonlight? If in a building, could you describe the lighting?
2. Was there a land area in the aquarium or completely an aquatic setup?
3. After you placed the males into the setup, you make the statement, "During the first week the temperature dropped under 0°C at night, so the surface was completely frozen". Help me understand this. Were the males under the ice layer....or were they on a land portion?
4. When laying eggs where were the eggs deposited? Female preference for sticks or plants, etc?
5. Might you also comment on filtration/water changes?
6. From November to February what type of setup were you using for the tigers?

Thanks in advance.
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Jan has covered it all xD
I would love to see pictures of the enclosure, if at all possible.

Cheers!
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Hey,
at first a picture of the aquarium:
190156_156029091124741_100001529526069_337109_6720692_n.jpg

I just try to answer number by number:

1. The aquarium was outdoors. No cover or anything else. There was direct sunlight in the early morning for about one hour. During the rest of the day there was shade because of a hedgerow.

2. As you can see there has only been a piece of cork, but they never used it.

3. As i wrote at 2. they never left the water. So they were under the ice layer.

4. The females didn't use plants or leaves as substrate. They deposited most eggs in clutches around very thin sticks and rarely on branches or cork.

5. There was no filtration or water change from mid of January (when i set up the enclosure) till egg deposition. But there was rain (up to 10 liters altogether I think).
I thought this would be the most natural set-up.

6. they were hibernating in a small box (30x25x25cm) with 20cm forest soil in it. Nothing else, very simple.

Greetings
Mario
 

Azhael

Site Contributor
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
6,645
Reaction score
103
Location
Burgos
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing :)
This species is so rarely bred that any and all information is greatly apreciated.
Best of lucks with the larvae!
 

Jan

Site Contributor
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
1,625
Reaction score
35
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Mario - very, very interesting! That these guys survived a week under ice....well, I never envisioned that in an aquarium setup.

Please keep us posted on the hatch rate and success of the larvae.

I wish you all the best of luck and once again congrats and thank you so much for sharing! I look forward to hearing more.
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Thanks guys, I'll keep you updated!

The ice melt during during daytime for couple hours so there was gas exchange although the water body was frozen during night. The water temperature was 2°C at night and up to 5°C (at cold days).
Just to clarify this factor.

13 larvae hatched till now. They got Cyclops and Daphnia if they would like to eat.

Greetings
Mario
 

Jan

Site Contributor
Joined
Mar 3, 2006
Messages
1,625
Reaction score
35
Location
Philadelphia, PA
The ice melt during during daytime for couple hours so there was gas exchange although the water body was frozen during night. The water temperature was 2°C at night and up to 5°C (at cold days).
Just to clarify this factor.
Greetings
Mario
Ah ha....now it makes sense - thanks for the clarification to the readers.
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Hey there,

it's time to update.

The biggest larvae grew up to 4cm in lenght. Most eat frozen bloodworms and don't need live food any more.
They are very easy to raise if you provide space and lots of food.

Two pictures:

5653383510_b008b06412_b.jpg


5652811959_4e087a9f36_b.jpg


Cheers,
Mario
 

Antares89

New member
Joined
May 4, 2010
Messages
10
Reaction score
1
Hi, congrats for the breeding!!!!
How many larvae are hutched at the end? And how many are still alive?
Again congrats...
Bye
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Hey,

I got about 60 right now but I don't know exactly because many hatched and live in the breeding tank.

40 are in small boxes. One died because of a malformation, another one stopped eating.
So two died, all others are fit.

bye,
Mario
 

megs

New member
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
37
Reaction score
3
Location
Central Jutland, Denmark
I have the same number of larvaes. Seems like we are heading for a common species right now...
But mine are a lot slower, mainly because the temps are not higher than 12C. I have though experiemented with some other setups in greenhouse and just outside. We will see what works.
The true challenge will be to breed the parents again next and breed the F1.
Martin
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
Update:

All are doing well. They grow incredible fast. The biggest larva measures 8cm in total lenght. Right now they grow about 1cm per week and don't seem to change that :blob:

Photos for you:

5755606802_f987f81811_b.jpg


5755063249_590d08ff5d_b.jpg


cheers!
 

MarioR

Member
Joined
Feb 26, 2010
Messages
104
Reaction score
15
The first larva started morphing!
It's 11cm in lenght, in average size. The talllest one is about 13cm in lenght.

Pictures from 25th of June and today:

25.6.:

5877232325_0f0fa211dc_b.jpg


5877789846_a70b7572e8_b.jpg


27.6.:

5877799278_c264547532_b.jpg


5877796026_74b109d52b_b.jpg


5877241057_d62d37bb8b_b.jpg


Cheers!
 
General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    There are no messages in the chat. Be the first one to say Hi!
    Top